Characterization – TechConnect Briefs

NanoDAC/fibDAC – Nanodeformation Measurement Techniques for Reliability Analysis of MEMS and NEMS

Keller J., Vogel D., Michel B., Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM), DE

Recent advances in microtechnology and the development of new electronics and micro/nanosystem devices in automotive industry, communication sector and life science have led to a strong need in material characterization on the micro and nano [...]

Laser Postionization Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry for Analysis on the Nanometer-Scale

Veryovkin I.V., Calaway W.F., Tripa C.E., Pellin M.J., Argonne National Laboratory, US

A new time-of-flight mass spectometer of postionized secondary neutrals, SARISA, has been developed and constructed at Argonne National Laboratory. This advanced analytical instrument has uniquely high useful yield >20%, is equipped with high spatial resolution [...]

An Introduction to Helium Ion Microscopy and its Nanotechnology Applications

Notte J.A., Farkas L., Hill R., Ward B., ALIS Corporation, US

A new imaging technology based on a scanning helium ion beam has been realized. This technology has several advantages over the traditional SEM. Due to the very high source brightness, and the shorter wavelength of [...]

Lattice Fringe Fingerprinting in Two Dimensions with Database Support

Moeck P., Seipel B., Bjorge R., Fraundorf P., Portland State University, US

Direct space high-resolution phase-contrast transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic resolution Z-contrast scanning TEM (Z-STEM), when combined with tools for image-based nanocrystallography possess the capacity to derive the crystallographic phase and shape of nanocrystals. This [...]

Synthesis silica sphere and core-shell Gd2O3:Eu3+@SiO2 phosphor nanoparticles by sol-gel method

Lin C.C., Lin K.M., Lin C.C., Lin K.M., Li Y.Y., Lin C.C., Lin K.M., National Chung Cheng University, TW

The welldispers and nano-scale of silica sphere were synthesized through sol-gel process by TEOS as the precursor at room temperature. We also can control sphere size with the diameter 60 nm, 180 nm and 300 [...]

The Analysis of Coatings Produced by Accelerated Nanoparticles

Kean A.H., Allers L., Mantis Deposition Ltd, UK

This paper describes the generation of nanoparticles of diameter 1-20nm by ‘terminated gas condensation’. The resulting nanoparticles are charged and can be mass selected by a linear quadrupole. The nanoparticles are deposited onto substrates using [...]

A Novel Approach of Sample Preparation for SCM Inspection in the DRAM Device Structures

Lue J.L., Liu H.W, Wu E., Pai B., Fan S., Wang T., ProMOS Technologies Inc, TW

This paper discusses the removal of the doped-polysilicon of a gate transistor by wet chemical etching containing the spacer oxide and nitride that remain. This technique significantly improves the image quality of 2-D doping profile [...]

Microfabrication and Mechanical Characterization of Suspended Carbon Microstructures

Malladi K., Wang C., Madou M.J., Xue W., Cui T., University of California Irvine, US

The idea of suspended carbon micro/nanostructures has been researched by a few research groups ], however, controlled fabrication of suspended carbon micro/nano structures in desired positions and with the desired shape and dimension is still [...]

Investigation of the Deformation Mechanics in Nanoindenter Deflected Freestanding Submicron Gold Thin Films

Wang L., Prorok B.C., Auburn University, US

The Membrane Deflection Experiment (MDE) was employed to perform the microscale tensile testing on freestanding thin films of various FCC metals. Process parameter adjustments and annealing were performed to modulate the film microstructure. High-resolution SEM, [...]

New reference standards and artifacts for nanoscale property characterization

Pratt J.R., Kramar J.A., Shaw G., Gates R., Rice P., Moreland J., National Institute of Standards and Technology, US

This paper provides an overview of calibration artifacts being developed at NIST that will greatly aid the accurate determination of nanoscale physical properties across a broad range of applications. We focus on three proposed reference [...]

The Relationship Between Nanoscale AFM Adhesive Force Measurements using Calcite Crystals with Macroscale contact angle and Scaling Characteristics

Boyd R.D., Bargir S., Dunn S., Jefferson B., Cranfield University, UK

The growth of scale, which primarily consists of calcite crystals, is a major problem in water systems. AFM probes have been modified with calcite crystal in order to measure the strength of adhesion between the [...]

Abrasive Wear Studies on Cobalt Electrodeposited Surfaces with Tio2 Dispersions

Kalyanaraman D., SUDHARSAN ENGINEERING COLLEGE, SATHIAMANGALAM - 622501, PUDUKOTTAI DISTRICT, TAMINNADU, INDIA, IN

Cobalt depositions are generally preferred for high temperature applications. When a second phase of fine tough particles are incorporated in the coating matrix, Tribological properties are found to have improved much. The performance of such [...]

Comparison between Nanoindentation and Scratch Test Hardness (Scratch Hardness) Values of Copper Thin Films on Oxidised Silicon Substrates

Chowdhury S., Beegan D., Laugier M.T., University of Alabama at Birmingham, US

We have measured hardness i.e. scratch hardness from the scratch tester usually used for investigating adhesion in thin films and compare this with hardness measured by the nanoindentation technique on copper thin films. We defined [...]

Size-Dependent Elastic Moduli of Nanofilms

Chang I-L, Huang J-C, National Chung Cheng University, TW

A semi-continuum model is constructed for the analysis of face-cubic-center crystal structure nanofilms to study the size dependence of the elastic properties. Unlike the classical continuum theory, the current model directly takes the discrete nature [...]

Mechanical Properties Measurement of Nanowires Anisotropic Conductive Film by Nanoindentation Technique

Hsu Y-Y, Lin R.J., Kuo T-Y, Su Y-Y, Uang R-H, Cheng H-C, Industrial Technology Research Institute, TW

In this investigation, a new type of anisotropic conductive film composed by nanowires and polymer was developed. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film was uses as a template to obtain cobalt nanowires by electro-deposition. Low viscous [...]

A New High Precision Procedure for AFM Probe Spring Constant Measurement using a Microfabricated Calibrated Reference Cantilever Array (CRCA)

Reitsma M.G., Gates R.S., National Institute of Standards and Technology, US

A new technique for calibrating Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) cantilevers is demonstrated using a unique array of microfabricated reference cantilevers. The array, consisting of seven uniform rectangular cantilevers of different length (and thus stiffness), was [...]

Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Palladium Nanoparticle Reinforced Fluoropolymer Composites

Spicer J., See K., Katsumi Y., Zhang D., Brupbacher J., Vargo T., John's Hopkins University, US

The linear optical properties of a functionally graded, palladium nanoparticle reinforced fluorinated ethylene polymer matrix nanocomposite (PMNC) were investigated in this work. Synthesized through repeated infusions of a palladium organometallic precursor gas into an insulating, [...]

Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy: Measuring Optical Properties at the Nanometre Scale

Keast V., Bosman M., University of Sydney, AU

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is widely used to study the composition and electronic structure of materials at the nanometre scale. The low-loss region of the EEL spectrum (< ~50 eV) is of particular interest for [...]

Evidence of surface defects in ultrathin tetrahedral amorphous carbon films probed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Roy S.S., McCann R., Papakonstantinou P., Abbas G.A., McLaughlin J.A., University of Ulster, UK

The ta-C films with thickness in the range of 1-10 nm were obtained by FCVA and investigated by NEXAFS and Raman spectroscopies. The C=C bonds were quantitatively determined from the area of pi* peak in [...]

Investigation of the Piezoresistive Properties of Nano Structured Amorphous Carbon for Force Sensor Applications

Lüthje H., Biehl S., Bandorf R., Sick J.-H., Peiner E., Tibrewala A., Fraunhofer IST, DE

In this contribution we report on investigations of the nano structure, morphology and nano topography of amorphous carbon films with respect to the piezo resistive, electrical and mechanical properties. Therefore a-C, a-C:H and doped a-C:H:X [...]

Experimental mechanical stress characterization of MEMS by using of confocal laser scanning microscope with a Raman spectroscopy interface

Yamaguchi M., Ueno S., Miura I., Erikawa W., Technical Research Institute Japan Society for the promotion of machine industry, JP

In this study, we demonstrate mechanical stress and shape profile measurements using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLM) interface for Raman spectroscopy and that this system is reasonable and helpful to the MEMS designer. By combining [...]

Sol-gel synthesis and photoluminescent characteristics of Eu doped Gd2O3 nanophosphors

Lin C.C., Lin K.M., Lin C.C., Lin K.M., Li Y.Y., Lin C.C., Lin K.M., National Chung Cheng University, TW

Eu-ion doped Gd2O3 nanophosphor powders were prepared by sol-gel method using GdCl3 and EuCl3 at 800-1100 oC. The size of phosphors was about 50-200nm depending on the synthesis temperature for 2hr. Nanophosphors was examined by [...]

Instability in flatband votlage of SiO2 embedded with silicon nanocrystals

Ng C.Y., Wong J.I., Yang M., Chen T.P., Nanyang Technological University, SG

In this work, the stability of the flatband voltage due to the Si-ions implantation into the SiO2 and subsequent annealing is being studied. There are lack of study on the impact of different annealing temperature [...]

The use of PDF analysis to investigate local structure and domains

Paglia G., Bozin E.S., Billinge S.J.L., Michigan State University, US

Knowledge of the atomic-scale structure is an important prerequisite to understand and control the properties of materials. The main techniques used to determine atomic structure are x-ray, neutron and electron diffraction from which the Bragg [...]

Testing the validity of small angle and adsorption-based characterization techniques by atomic-scale simulation

Pellenq R.J.-M., Coasne B., Centre de Recherche en Matière Condensée et Nanosciences, CNRS, FR

This work aims at testing small angle scattering and adsorption/desorption-based characterization techniques routinely used for nanoporous material characterization (specific surface and pore size distribution measurements). For that purpose, we report Grand Canonical Monte Carlo results [...]

Nano-Diamond compressibility at pressures up to 85 GPa

Pantea C., Zhang J., Qian J., Zhao Y., Migliori A., Grzanka E., Palosz B., Wang Y., Zerda T.W., Liu H., Ding Y., Stephens P.W., Botez C.E., Los Alamos National Laboratory, US

According to the core-shell model nanocrystals consist of a uniform core surrounded by a surface shell. Crystallographic structure of the surface shell is the same as that of the core but interatomic distances in the [...]

A Novel Ultrasonic Method for Characterizing Suspensions of Nanoparticles

Africk S., Colton C.K., Prodyne Corp. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

Originally developed to measure concentration of human Islets of Langerhans in transplant preparations, the Ultrasonic Pulsed Doppler (USPD) method uses a single transducer as both source and receiver of pulsed ultrasound to measure backscattered energy [...]

Morphology effect dependent on the synthesis method of KxIr1-xO2 system

Ramírez E., Chavira E., Baños L., Soto Guzmán A.B., Guzmán J., Flores C., Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, MX

We focus our attention on the synthesis of the solid solution of KxIr1-xO2 with x = 0.25. This solid solution was obtained by the solid-state reaction and sol-gel method using IrO2 and K2CO3 as starting [...]

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